A Handy Summary of Nest and ‘The Internet of Things’

If you thought Google already had enough of a presence in your life, you might want to think again. As they have now expanded past your computer and smartphone into your home, having last week bought smart thermostat company ‘Nest’ for an astonishing $3.2 billion. An expensive move by Google for a hardware firm still in the early stages of development, but also a strategic one, as Google has firmly staked its claim in ‘The Thingternet’ or ‘The Internet of Things’.

So what is Nest?

Nest is a thermostat that learns your habits and optimises the temperature of your home to suit you, saving you time, energy and money. It can be controlled remotely though a smartphone app, which gives you updates on the thermostat’s battery power and emergency alerts.

Along with the thermostat, Nest have also built a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm ‘Nest Protect’ that can distinguish between burnt toast and a real fire hazard, great for those of us who have overenthusiastic toasters. Nest’s smoke alarm is also connected to your smartphone and tablet, messaging you if the smoke alarm goes off and warning you long before your batteries run out.

Welcome to the smart home of the future.

But what’s ‘The Thingternet’ then?

Nest is an example of ‘The Internet of Things’ or ‘Thingternet’, a combination of the physical world and the virtual world. Smart chips attached to any every day object such as machines, buildings, appliances or cars that talk to each other. These sensors are now capable of sharing localised information, working with each other and ultimately working more efficiently.

Sounds great, what’s the catch?

The potential impact of ‘The Thingternet’ on our lives and society is immense. While technologists praise it as a step towards a better, more efficient world, scholars and social observers have raised doubts and fears about this smart home of the future.

The Internet of Things is certainly vulnerable and there’s no doubt that we should approach it with caution. But with Google splashing out $3.2 billion on Nest, I’m hoping they’ve got some secure answers up their sleeve.